Close the Door
by Le parole di Firenze
Summary: Set after Book 10. Mysterious black cloaked strangers visit Jenny's restaurant, followed by an even more unexpected guest. What do they want? And more importantly, what will they do to get it? Gilan/Jenny.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This was originally intended as a one-shot, but it became a bit too plot-y to have in one chapter, so it may end up as a two-shot, or even a longer story.  
It will focus on Jenny and Gilan, set a few months after And About Time Too.  
**

**Jenny will be kind and hit people with ladles, Gilan will be charming and confident, and I will be sitting here swooning over my OTP.  
**

**Reviews are appreciated! (By this I mean I mentally throw myself a party with cake and everything every time I get a positive review.)**

**Disclaimer- Anything you recognize belongs to John Flanagan.**

* * *

It was a cold night, the first of many as winter began to settle. The icy wind howled through the bare, leafless trees, driving the rain with increasing force towards the roofs of the village, which were clustered like so many mushrooms around the castle Redmont.

It was a bitter night there was no denying, but still Jenny Dalby found herself in remarkably good spirits. However hard the rain might fall, it could not penetrate the warmth and comfort of her restaurant that evening, the roaring fire and lively chatter keeping winter's malice well at bay. She smiled to herself as she surveyed her merry customers, each of them enjoying her own delicious dishes and a carefully chosen mug of ale or mead to complement it.

Everything was going perfectly for Jenny. Her restaurant was fast becoming one of the most highly regarded in the whole of Redmont, with the Baron himself dining there several times a month, along with several of Arulean's most respected figures. Horace and Cassandra and been here only three nights ago, the presence of the princess and her husband, the famous Oakleaf knight, causing quite a stir in the village. Then there was Halt and Will, who both frequented her restaurant, claiming that it was hard for them to go for too long without her company. She suspected it may be more to do with the fact that they could not go for too long without a decent meal.

Then there was Gilan. Handsome, charming Gilan who lived altogether too far away in the neighbouring Whitby fief. She had hardly seen him since Will and Alyss' wedding, almost two months ago, and was feeling the absence keenly.

The wedding had been magical. Under a starry canopy with a carpet of leaves beneath their feet they had danced for what felt like hours. If she closed her eyes she could still feel music of the flutes flowing through them, linking them together until she could not discern where her own body stopped and his began. He was a remarkable dancer.

She sighed. Maybe everything was not going so perfectly after all.

She was pulled harshly from her reverie as a gust of icy air blew over her exposed arms.

"Could you please close the door after you, kind sir? I have a table over here if you wish to dine," She smiled brightly at the man who was standing in the doorway, his eyes raking the room bare as they darted about, taking in every detail. It reminded her of the way the rangers scrutinised a room upon entering it for the first time. Gilan had once told her that knowing your surroundings could make the difference between life and death. Frowning, she quickly pushed aside any thoughts of Gilan. She had to keep her mind on her job.

The man looked her over just as carefully as he had the room, his eyes lingering on her face as she shivered in the winter wind, regretting her choice of clothing. She had only been thinking of the heat of the stove when she had dressed in the sleeveless gown, not expecting the night to have grown quite so cold.

"Do you have room for five?" He asked without moving, the cold still seeping into the room from behind him.

"That I do," Jenny said "Now if I could trouble you to invite your men inside and close the door?" His lips twitched as he complied, moving into the restaurant ahead of four others, each dressed in the same black cloak and trousers and the first man. The last one closed the door loudly, causing other customers to glance over. They looked away quickly.

Unease began to creep over Jenny as she took in the men. They were not young men, but neither did they lack strength or alertness. The youngest looked about forty, the oldest nearing sixty. Each had a sheathed knife at his hip.

Still, she put on a smile, playing the well-rehearsed part of the hostess. She seated them at a table in the centre of the room, wanting to be able to keep an eye on their behaviour, and took their orders. She noticed with slight puzzlement that none of the men ordered anything with meat, some going as far as to enquire if any animal stocks were used in the soup (which they weren't).

She returned to the kitchen, desperately wishing that Halt or Will were here tonight. However, she knew that they were away, taking care of some business on the other side of Redmont. She briefly considered sending a message to the Baron, but just as quickly dismissed it. Five men wearing black and eating no meat were not cause enough to trouble the Baron.

Once all of the men had received their meals and drinks, Jenny returned to the kitchen, expecting that there would be no more business for tonight. It was getting late, and the restaurant was almost empty, save for a few stragglers and the men in black cloaks.

Once again, her mind began to wander. Not for the first time that week, she wondered what Gilan was doing now. Probably off on some dangerous assignment. Saving lives. Putting wrongs to right. She sighed once again, wishing he were here.

She heard the door open again, and, ladle still in hand, went to welcome the customer. Another chill gust of wind blew through the restaurant. She groaned inwardly as the wind continued to stab her skin. Why couldn't people just step in and close the door? Why wait in the doorway?

"I'll thank you to keep that shut," She snapped, before realising her rudeness. The man had already closed the door when she began her apology.

"I'm terribly sorry, sir, it's just that people have been coming in and out all night and it's so _cold _that I- Gilan?"

"Sorry Jen. But maybe you should be wearing a cloak, winter is coming after all," She stared at him, open mouthed. Behind her, she could sense that the men in black had fallen silent, watching them, but she didn't care. She only had eyes for Gilan.

"Sorry for turning up without warning like th-" He was cut off in mid-sentence as she threw her arms around him, almost knocking them both to the floor. Luckily, his reflexes were as good as ever, and he managed to both catch her and steady himself, before returning her embrace.

"It's good to see you, Jenny," He murmured in her ear. She just nodded against his chest, relishing the warmth. She heard sniggers from behind her at the display of affection. Suddenly, embarrassment washed over her. She pulled away, cheeks flaming.

"Um, sorry, you were saying…?"

He grinned at her, completely at ease. "I was saying that I'm sorry for showing up unannounced, but I was in the area and had to see you. I missed you, Jen."

Jenny felt herself grow redder, if that was even possible. "I missed you too." She mumbled, before rushing on. "So how long are you here for? Are you hungry? Because I could cook something, or if you've eaten then we could have coffee or something. Is Blaze in the stables? Because I can send someone to see to- no wait, rangers always care for their own horse. How was your journey? Why are you even here? I hope you didn't get too cold, it's such a freezing night, this is going to be a harsh winter, I can tell," She clapped her hands over her mouth as she finished, mortified at her babbling.

Gilan didn't even pause.

"I'm only here for an hour, just passing through. I've eaten at the castle and Blaze is in the stables eating her way through enough apples to last her a week, greedy horse. My journey was cold and uneventful, and I'm here to see the Baron, which I have now done. It will be a horrific winter and I will love you forever if you have any coffee," He paused, looking over her shoulder at the men in sitting at the centre table, who had by now returned to their meal, their interest in Gilan's arrival seemingly fulfilled. "Who are they?"

Jenny shrugged. "They don't eat meat," She said absently, taking advantage of Gilan's distraction to look at his face. He looked that same as ever. His straight dark hair falling across his forehead, but not so much as to obscure his eyes, the same colour green as his ranger cloak. Clean shaven and straight-nosed, Jenny thought he was the most handsome man she had ever seen.

"How unusual," He said lightly, his gaze falling back to her. "You look beautiful, Jennifer Dalby," He said with a grin, his confidence making her smile with him.

"So do you."

He shook his head, still smiling. "Coffee, remember?"

She shook her head with mock sadness. "Is that all you care about?"

Without warning, he gently tilted her face upward, and kissed her softly on the mouth. It was sweet and simple and everything she had hoped their first kiss would be. She was stunned.

"Yes. Now fetch me some coffee, serving girl!"

Still exploding with happiness inside, she hit him playfully on the arm with her ladle before bustling off to make his coffee, her heart singing in her chest.

* * *

When Jenny returned from the kitchen with two mugs of fragrant, steaming coffee, the men had gone. One of the waiters told her that the second she had gone out of the room they had paid the bill and left without a word. Frowning, she set the mugs down on a table in corner at which Gilan had seated himself.

"Well that was very odd," She said, almost to herself.

"MmHmm," Gilan replied, sipping his coffee. "Jenny?"

"Yes?"

"Did you put honey in my coffee?" He sounded surprised.

"I did. Isn't that how you like it?"

"Yes, it is," He smiled into his cup. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

And there they sat, talking and laughing until the coffee was gone and Gilan had to leave for Whitby.

Then they stood at the door, hands joined.

"Thanks for the coffee Jen. It was good to see you."

Past the lump in her throat Jenny barely managed a strained "And you."

"I'll see you again soon, okay?"

"Okay."

"Goodbye, my love," His love. She was his love. And he was leaving.

"Goodbye," Then quickly, before the moment passed, she stood on tiptoe and gave him a quick peck on the lips, and one more for good luck. He grinned at her, his familiar, good natured smile, then opened the door and was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Thanks for the lovely reviews, guys! It really motivates me to keep writing, knowing that someone's appreciating my work. Truly, thank you.  
****Sorry that this chapter is so short! The next one will hopefully be longer. **

**Please please review, even if you hated it. All feedback is good feedback. Or at least useful feedback.**

**Disclaimer- Anything you recognize belongs to Mr John Flanagan, not to the teenage girl writing fluffy fanficiton.**

* * *

Jenny watched Gilan close the door with a sad smile, wondering when she would see him again.

It was hard, she decided, being in love with a ranger. They were always coming or going, never consistent, never predictable. They were inconsistent, yet reliable. They could be invisible, yet still draw every eye. They were a world of contradictions, Gilan being perhaps the most contradictory of all, Jenny thought.

Like all members of the ranger corps, Gilan was an expert archer and could throw knives with utter precision, as well as being highly skilled at tracking and hunting. These things alone made him dangerous, but take into account that he was also a master swordsman and the ranger corps' best unseen mover and you had one of the deadliest men in Araluen. And yet Gilan had none of the jaded callousness that Jenny had come to expect from those who had dealt death. He was not like the knights, or the bandits, or even the most of the other rangers, all of whom had in some form allowed the brutality of their lifestyles to harden them.

Crowley, even Halt to a certain degree, had allowed themselves to retreat inside a shell of their own creation. It was only recently that Jenny had started to see a change in Halt. Ever since his marriage to Pauline he had been getting slowly warmer, less prickly and more likely to see the good in a situation. It made Jenny glad that Will had Alyss; she couldn't bear the thought of him becoming as reclusive and taciturn as Halt had once been. But Gilan…Gilan was-

"Would you like me to blow out the candles as I leave, Miss Jenny? The wax is beginning to drip."

"Wha-? Oh, yes please Mia, I would greatly appreciate that." Train of thought de-railed, Jenny pulled back the chair she had been sitting in and stood up, stretching her arms above her head to remove the stiffness that had crept up on her while she was sitting.

_That's what you get for sitting around having insightful thoughts while you're supposed to be cleaning up and heading home, _she scolded herself, turning towards the kitchens to clean up for the night.

"I've already done the cleaning, Miss Jenny," Mia said, pausing by the door. "I thought you might get behind while you were talking to Gilan. And thank God I did, because it's looking to snow soon and you'd best be getting home."

Jenny smiled at her gratefully. "Oh Mia, you are truly a blessing. What would I do without you? But how did you know it was Gilan I was talking to? Have you met him before?"

"No, but I feel as if I have, the amount that you talk about him. Tall, dark, handsome, a ranger, obviously in love with you, really who else could it have been?" Jenny's face must have betrayed her shock, because Mia hastily added a "Goodnight Miss!" And with a grin and a giggle, was off for the night.

Jenny frowned to herself. Did she really talk about him that much? She supposed she must have, knowing very well that she tended to chatter while she cooked. She had taken several ladles to the head from Master Chubb for doing just that. She smiled at the memory as she stepped out into the chilly night.

Drawing her arms around herself, she glanced around nervously at the deserted street. Redmont was one of the safest fiefs to live in, largely due to its excellent rangers and renowned battleschool, and yet Jenny still found her hand drawn to the knife that was concealed in her sleeve. Perhaps it was the strangers from the restaurant, or the new darkness of the coming winter, but she felt a growing sense of unease as she locked the heavy wooden door of her business.

_Calm down._ She told herself firmly. _No use jumping at shadows. What would Gilan think of you if he were here?_ That thought helped calm her. She knew exactly what Gilan would say if he were there with her. "_You're perfectly safe Jen, there's nothing to worry about."_ And there wouldn't be, not if he was there. Jenny smiled to herself, brushing her fingers over her lips as if to recall the feeling of his lips on hers. Nothing to worry about. Shaking her head, she wondered if she was ever going to be able to rid her thoughts him. It seemed not.

Feeling slightly better, Jenny turned into the narrow lane that lead to her home. Her footsteps made a handful of sharp clicks on the flagstones as she took the few steps that carried her off the main path and into the shadow of the houses. The wind hastened her along, pushing her towards the side street as if it wanted to show her some secret treasure hidden there, chilling her to the bone with its insistent fingers.

She had barely gone five paces into the shadows when a pair of rough hands seized her from behind.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - AH I'm so sorry that this has taken so long! I know, it's bad, but I'm just so swamped with homework and housework and general laziness of the worst kind. But enough with the excuses! **

**THANK YOU so so much for all of the lovely reviews, every time I see one I just feel like my world gets that much brighter.**

**Again, I'm sorry the chapters are so short! Hopefully they'll get longer as I get more time to write.**

**Disclaimer- Anything you recognize belongs to John Flanagan!**

* * *

Jenny immediately spun around, her hands flying up to grasp the forearms of her attacker in a fruitless attempt to loosen their grip. She almost succeeded, managing to twist their arms as she moved, forcing them to let go for a brief second. But it wasn't enough. In another second they had her around the waist, pinning her arms to her sides as a second pair of hands forced her wrists together. She truly began to panic then. The new attacker began to bind her hands with a strand of material, which although thin, was as strong as any of the twisted rope used to tie horse.

Then common sense kicked in and she began to scream.

Hands came up immediately to cut her off, the unusually smooth skin smothering any further noise she could have made. Still she struggled, thrashing, twisting, desperately trying to throw off the hands, to make a noise, to _escape_.

But her efforts were in vain. Her hands bound, unable to make any noise, she was half dragged a few meters, fighting all the way.

"Hush now, girl," The voice was smooth, gentle. Sinister. "Stop your struggling or we will have to _make_ you stop."

Realizing it was fruitless, Jenny became still. She would wait for her moment.

The men marched her the rest of the way down the street, each with a hand of either of her shoulders, one still covering her mouth. It smelled of soap.

She became aware of the tears streaming down her cheeks, from shock, fear and anger at her own stupidity. Why had she not taken out her knife the second she walked into the shadows? How could she have been so careless? The answer came to her quickly, in a voice that sounded remarkably like Gilan's. _You are too trusting, Jenny. Always have been._

But she still had the knife! If she could just get to it…

The street ended in a fork, the left leading to her house, the right leading to the castle. They took the left.

Just around the corner was a pair of sleek, powerful looking horses, already saddled. Before she could do a single thing, the men had slung her face down across the first. To do so, they had to release their hands from her face.

"Help!" She screamed, "Somebody!" Her face was pressed against the horses flank. She didn't see it when one of the men, fed up with her yelling, rounded the beast and raised a fist. But she did feel it; a second of blinding pain in her temple, and then nothing.

* * *

The stone was damp beneath him, the chill seeping into his legs and he knelt, bow in hand, on the angled roof. His mouth was a grim line as he watched them seize her, dragging her towards the animal, her struggling tearing at his heart, although his body remained still.

His eyes followed as she was slung into the saddle, narrowing as one of them raised a hand. His heart leapt. In a second his bow was raised, an arrow nocked, ready to be sent into the man's heart before the blow could connect. But no, he couldn't. Slowly, knuckles white, he lowered the weapon, forcing himself to watch as she was knocked unconscious, not daring to blink as they dug their heels into their horses.

Not for one second did his gaze leave her, his heart contracting with every hoof beat as they disappeared from sight.

* * *

"Urgh," Jenny put her hand up to her temple, trying fruitlessly to stifle the deep aching in her head. She opened her eyes, and immediately closed them again, before once again parting her eyelids, more slowly, carefully. It didn't help. The brightness burned itself into her retinas, filling her sight with floating shapes and doubling the pain in her head. She moaned again.

Slowly her eyes adjusted to the light, revealing her surroundings. She was outside, grass beneath her feet, cool wind dancing on her arms. It was morning. _Hours _had passed! _Either he hit me much harder than I thought,_ she mused, _or they used some sort of potion to put me to sleep._ Horace had once told her that blows to the head would only keep someone out for a few minutes at the most.

She was sitting under a tree, a few metres from the sleeping form of one of the men who had captured her. The other was nowhere to be seen. She stood up stiffly, too fast. Her head throbbed, dizziness momentarily threatening to overcome her. She stood perfectly still until the feeling faded.

She became aware that her ankles had been tied together, with another longer rope looping the trunk of the tree, preventing her from running. The knot looked complicated. With deft fingers, she picked at it, realising immediately that it would be impossible. She'd have to untie the knot on the other side of the tree before she could do this one.

_Or you could use the knife in your pocket._ Shaking her head at her own slowness, she quickly withdrew the knife and cut through the rope.

For a moment, she considered killing the man sleeping not two metres from where she stood. It would certainly be safer for her if there was one less person coming after her. It may save lives in the future, as there was no doubt in her mind that these were bad men. She blanched at the thought of ending a person's life, feeling sick at the thought of it. _What would Gilan do?_ She asked herself. The answer came to her immediately. Never would Gilan, or any ranger kill a man while he was sleeping. What was wrong with her? Why had the thought even entered her mind?

Stepping carefully around the sleeping man, she was faced with a choice. The choice in question was a pair of horses picketed in front of her. Run, without any idea where she was going, without food, and by herself, or take a horse? She took a hesitant step towards one of the beasts, remembering Tug's violent reaction to any rider other than Will. She bit her lip, adrenaline pouring into her viens. Horses were easier to track, as Halt had told her not too many months ago. No, it was better not to risk it.

She turned and made as if to sprint towards the trees, hoping that it wouldn't matter how far she got if she was hidden from sight. She barely made it five steps before she was overcome with dizziness, her eyes filling with black dots as her head throbbed, her heart beat becoming louder and louder in her ears until the thrumming was all she could hear, and the blackness was all she could see.

Her last thought before she was overcome was one of childish plaintiveness. _It's not fair! I was so close..so close…_

And then the darkness closed over her head.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Thanks again for the incredibly nice reviews! I just love this fandom so much. You guys are seriously the best. **

**Diclaimer- Anything you recognize most definitely does not belong to me.**

* * *

She was lying on a rough, homespun blanket, which did not entirely keep the chill from seeping into her from the hard, cold ground. The air was damp, chilled, and she could sense somebody beside her, although she was still too wrapped in sleep to open her eyes and check. Her head felt much clearer.

She sighed, thinking of how close she had come to getting away. A thousand different scenarios had played through her head as she had lain on the blanket, half in and half out of sleep for what must have been hours. Why had she not released the horses? The men would have followed them, not her. _Though beasts may not have run,_ she thought, frowning. _I ought to have hidden my knife though_. _I'm sure I had time, I should have put in back in my sleeve the second I had cut the ropes. Now I'm completely without protection._

"You awake then, girl?" The voice was male, rough.

Jenny stirred, attempting to open her eyes "Why can't I open my eyes?" She asked when her vision stayed blank.

A man chuckled. "Your eyes _are_ open, love."

Panic welled up inside her. Jenny desperately held her hands up to her face, fingers brushing the lashes of her open eyelids.

"Wh- I can't see! What have you done!"

He laughed again, clearly finding something about her predicament highly amusing.

"Am I blind? What's happening?" She sat up, whipping her head from side to side, desperate to find some light, some colour, anything that would tell her that her fears were unfounded, that she was not blind. Everywhere was the blackness. Tears ran down her cheeks, spilling down her face like so many raindrops on a windowpane. Her heart sped.

"Be still, there is no cause to panic," This was a second voice, smooth, collected, older. Jenny's resultant laughter sounded hysterical even to her own ears, the sound bouncing off the walls and magnifying as the giggles turned to sobs, echoing around her head.

Suddenly, she fell silent, listening as the last of her laughter faded away. _It can't be…_ she thought, struggling to squash the hope which had flared up inside of her. She took a deep breath, trying to control her fear.

"Where...where are we?"

Neither of the men replied, but she could hear their quiet breaths some metres from her. Silently, she stretched out her hand, fingers searching, seeking to touch what she could not see. She could feel her hands shaking.

Finally, her probing fingers encountered something hard. She grinned in the darkness, her fingers still pressed against the rough, cold wall.

"A cave," She breathed, her voice heavy with relief and wonder.

"Yes. It is the dark, not your eyes to blame for your lack of sight," This was the older man again.

_It is not that I cannot see, it is that there is nothing _to_ see, _she thought, still smiling into the dark. _Although at this very second that does not help much, I suppose._ Her smile faded as she thought on her predicament. Nobody knew where she was. Nobody. Least of all herself.

What did these men in black want with her? For she now knew that it was indeed the men from the restaurant who had taken her, having recognized their cloaks as she made her escape attempt. Where the others were, she had no inkling.

"What's going to happen to me?" She asked, raising her voice in the hopes that the echoes could tell her more about the size of the cavern. They must be deep underground for it to be this dark.

"You shall be our weapon against the ranger, and with much luck you shall be the weapon to slay him," The older man once again, his more formal tones unmistakable. His voice sent chills down her spine.

"R-ranger?" She said, although she knew perfectly well what he had meant. She was the bait in a deadly trap. _But this is Gilan we're talking about _she reminded herself. _He won't be easily tricked._

It was the first man, seemingly more inclined to talk to her that answered, his voice magnified by the rocky walls of the cavern.

"Your sweetheart. Handsome lad, is he not? He won't be once we're through with him," He laughed softly. Jenny shivered, fighting the urge to run, or to fight them. _Be smart, Jenny_.

"You wouldn't be able to spare any food, would you?" She asked, becoming aware of the hunger in the pit of her stomach. She hadn't eaten since lunch…when? The previous day? Or was it two days now? She had lost all track of time in the dark.

"We shall eat on arrival, mayhap one day's journey from this cavern," the second man replied. "We fast when within the tunnels. "

"Oh," Jenny said quietly. Why they refused to eat in the caves, she had no clue, but she did know that a day's walk would be beyond her without food or light. She was no knight, or ranger. Just a chef, although admittedly a good one.

"Don't worry your pretty little head, you'll not starve. We can carry you if needs be, and a mighty feast will be waiting for us," A note of wistfulness entered the younger man's voice. "Although I don't see why we can't have a good roast. A little bit of pork never hurt anybody, nor beef."

"You know as well as I that our order forbids the consumption of flesh. Speak of it no more, I fear our guest is gathering far too much information," This was the elder again. The younger man shifted in the dark, and Jenny imagined a grin on his face as he spoke.

"Not that she'll ever get a chance to use it."

* * *

She whined, panting as she ran, desperate to find the source of the scent which she had been told to follow. A branch whipped past her face. She ignored it. She had to stick to the trail. It was her duty.

Behind her, the horse raced, hooves beating out a steady rhythm. There would be no slowing. The scent burned strong in her nostrils, she would find the source. She would find it, she would find it for her new master, for he was good and kind and fed her well, and she would not disappoint him.

She was a bloodhound, and she would always find her quarry.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N ****Again, massive apologies for not updating! I had a bit of a fandom shift, but don't worry, I _will_ finish this story, pinky promise.**

**Thank you so much for your reviews, I know it's stressful logging in and typing them and everything, and I appreciate every single one. Even ones that threaten me with electric spoons. Especially those ones. Special cheers to Raveling Eudaimonia, because your review was the kick I needed to return to this story.**

**Disclaimer- Everything you recognise belongs to Uncle John.**

* * *

Gilan's body was tense as he rode, his mind focused on only one thing. Reaching her. Fast.

The grass and trees rushed past unseen, his gaze fixed on the sprinting hound in front of him. She was a good dog, a bloodhound from Caraway fief that he'd been training for this very purpose. Even as he watched she increased her pace, barking, incited by the increasing closeness of the scent. Blaze pushed herself forward in response. Worried for Jenny though he was, Gilan managed a smile. It would be good to have this over with.

* * *

It was still dark.

Jenny and her captors had been walking for hours in the blackness, navigating by no visible means. They had consumed very little water, and true to the older man's word, not a single morsel of food. Every now and again, Jenny's stomach would rumble in protest, the sound magnified by the walls. The younger man would chuckle when this happened, but she refused to be embarrassed. These men were scum.

Another hour passed, and Jenny began to fear that they would never get out, leaving her to starve slowly in the darkness, walking endless paths of unforgiving rock. She felt dizzy from lack of food, and it occurred to her that she wouldn't even know she was falling until she hit the jagged ground. Her breaths shortened and she fought to keep herself from panicking.

"Please," she rasped weakly, "How...how much longer?" The echoes of her plea whispered in her ear, her useless eyes flicking around for a reply out of habit.

"Soon," came the smooth voice from ahead of her. The other man walked behind, his footsteps making barely a sound.

Jenny wondered what would happen if she just sat down and refused to go any further. _Carry me, most likely. At this point I might not even mind. _  
Thankfully, it didn't come to that. Within minutes, she heard other voices curling around the tunnel and the footfalls from in front and behind her stop. She felt hands grabbing her wrists, and a length of the same thin rope as before was looped around them. She pondered briefly why they hadn't tied her up before, and quickly decided that there must have been no need. She wouldn't have run, they were stronger than her, she couldn't see. But that they were bothering with restraints now meant that she might have a chance. _Or would have had one_, she thought, struggling vainly against the bonds.

"Walk," she was instructed from behind, and she obeyed. Now Jenny knew she was only bait, these people didn't need her unharmed. As much as she hated putting up no resistance, it was the smart thing to do.

They rounded a bend, Jenny straining to see some speck of light that surely must be coming. As they walked, and the voices grew closer, Jenny began to make out a faint glow ahead. At first she thought she must be imagining it, but as they drew nearer there was no doubt. There was light up ahead. Jenny almost cried with relief. She'd never been scared of the dark, but the blackness of the caverns was something different, an out of body feeling, leaving you floating in the dark. Even if it meant her end, she was glad to see the light.

It took them another half hour by Jenny's shaky estimate to reach the source. As the walls of the tunnel slowly came into being, she saw that they were no longer rough, as they had felt under fingers before, but regular, almost polished. The faces of her captors also flickered into sight, but as all she could see in front of her was the back of the first man's head, she didn't get a chance to examine them. The voices were so loud now they seemed to be all around her, although the tones themselves were hushed, respectful. It sounded as though there must be _hundreds _of people down here, though Jenny knew by now how sounds were multiplied in the caves.

They came upon the entrance sharply. One moment they were walking through a flickering tunnel filled with echoes. The next they were standing in the mouth of a giant cavern filled with instinctively jerked her hands up to cover her eyes, hoping to spare them the intense brightness. She felt herself being pulled forward. Lowering her bound hands, she slitted her eyes so that she could see a little while her pupils adjusted.

There were three stone tables set up not far away, and seated at them were dozens of men, all wearing the same plain, dark garb as her abductors. _ A cult. _ Jenny thought, remembering what Will had told her about one called the Outsiders, although this group didn't really behave in the same way he had described. All of them had their heads turned in her direction, though their faces were shrouded by the hoods of their strange cloaks.

By now Jenny could open her eyes fully, and as she did so she began to realize that in reality, the room was fairly dim, lit only by three blazing torches set in metal table brackets at the center of each slab. Her long time in the dark must have made her eyes extra sensitive.

The men who had taken her brushed past, hoods over their heads, and took seats at the middle table, leaving Jenny standing alone in front of the crowd. She felt naked in the path of their collective gaze, completely vulnerable. And she was. Whatever they decided to do with her, to do _to _her, there was no way for her to stop them. Jenny felt a lump rise in her throat, and she swallowed against it desperately. She would not let these men see her cry.

_Gilan will come, _she told herself. _He will come for me. He will. He has to. _She conjured his face in her mind, as she had done so many times before. He was smiling at her, telling her he was on his way. She smiled back at him. _I know. I know you'll save me. You always do.  
_

"You are smiling?" A voice said, and she turned to see another of the black robed men crossing the hall to stand beside her. "Why? You're not afraid?"  
This man had his hood down, exposing close-cropped dark hair and an unremarkable, thinly lined face. There was cruelty there, and malice. He had a silver broach in the shape of a hand, palm facing towards her, on his chest where the others were unadorned. _He must be a leader of some sort. _She met his gaze unblinkingly, telling herself to be brave, brave like the rest of her friends had to be all too often.

"I am not afraid. Not of you," she lied, trying her best to not look away.

He laughed, and the sound sent chills up her spine. "Well you should be, child. You should be."

"No. Gilan will come for me," she told them.

"Oh we know," he replied, before leaning in close, his breath brushing her cheek. "We're counting on it."


End file.
